Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Lehigh County is a county located in the Lehigh Valley region of the eastern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 349,497. Its county seat is Allentown, the state's third largest city behind Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. In addition to Allentown, the county includes the western section of the city of Bethlehem, six boroughs and 14 townships. The county, which was first settled around 1730, was formed in 1812 with the division of Northampton County into two counties. It is named after the Lehigh River, whose name is derived from the Delaware Indian term Lechauweki or Lechauwekink, meaning "where there are forks". Geography Topography near Slatington at the Lehigh County–Northampton County line, 2007]] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.48%), water. The Lehigh Valley, which includes all of Lehigh and Northampton counties, is bounded on the north by Blue Mountain, a ridge of the Appalachian mountain range with an altitude of 1,300 to , and on the south by South Mountain, a ridge of 700 to that cuts through the southern portions of the two counties. The highest point in Lehigh County is Bake Oven Knob, a mass of Tuscarora conglomeratic rocks that rise about above the main ridge of the Blue Mountain in northwestern Heidelberg Township. Lehigh County is in the Delaware River watershed. While most of the county is drained by the Lehigh River and its tributaries, the Schuylkill River also drains regions in the south of the county via the Perkiomen Creek and the northwest via the Maiden Creek. Adjacent counties are Carbon County to the north; Northampton County to the northeast and east; Bucks County to the southeast; Montgomery County to the south; and Berks County and Schuylkill County to the west. Climate Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year. For the city of Allentown, January lows average and highs average . The lowest officially recorded temperature was in 1912 . July lows average and highs average , with an average relative humidity (morning) of 82%. The highest temperature on record was in 1966 . Early fall and mid winter are generally driest, with October being the driest month with only 74.7 mm of average precipitation. Snowfall is variable, with some winters bringing light snow and others bringing numerous significant snowstorms. Average snowfall is per year, with the months of January and February receiving the highest at just over each. Rainfall is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to twelve wet days per month, at an average annual rate of . Demographics in Lehigh County, 2010]] As of the 2010 census, the county was 79.1% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.9% were two or more races, and 8.6% were some other race. 18.8% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of the census of 2000, there were 312,090 people, 121,906 households, and 82,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 900 people per square mile (348/km²). There were 128,910 housing units at an average density of 372 per square mile (144/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.02% White, 3.56% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 2.10% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.28% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. 10.22% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 27.1% were of German, 7.9% Italian, 7.7% Irish, 6.2% Pennsylvania German and 5.6% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 85.0% spoke English, 8.4% Spanish and 1.2% Arabic as their first language. There were 121,906 households out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.60% were non-families. 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.02. In the county, the population was spread out with 23.90% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.60 males. Politics and government As of January 2010, there are 223,867 registered voters in Lehigh County: Pennsylvania Department of State * Democratic: 112,412 (50.21%) * Republican: 76,904 (34.35%) * Other Parties: 34,551 (15.43%) Lehigh County and neighboring Northampton County are part of Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional district. The 15th Congressional district is a contentious swing district with neither Republicans nor Democrats winning the district consistently. Despite the advantage in Democratic registration in the district, voters elected Republicans Charlie Dent in 2004, 2006 and 2008 and, previously, Pat Toomey in 1998, 2000, and 2002. In 2004, the county narrowly voted for John Kerry over George W. Bush for President, and in 2008 the county gave all statewide Democratic candidates significant leads and Barack Obama a victory of more than 15 points over John McCain, 57.1% to 41.5%. All five statewide winners carried it in November 2004. Although the Republican Party has historically been dominant in county-level politics, the Democratic Party has made substantial inroads this decade. In 2005, Bethlehem Mayor Don Cunningham unseated incumbent County Executive Jane Ervin to become the first Democrat to be elected to the office. Four of the nine commissioner seats and all row offices except for the District Attorney have held by Democrats since winning two at-large seats in November 2007. Lehigh County has a home-rule charter with four at-large and five district commissioners. In 2006 Lehigh County voters approved a county-charter amendment to combine the offices of Clerk of Courts, Register of Wills, and Recorder of Deeds into the office of the Clerk of Judicial Records. Clerk of Courts Andrea Naugle won the new office in November 2007. Commissioners Other county offices Pennsylvania House of Representatives Pennsylvania State Senate United States House of Representatives * Jim Gerlach, Republican, Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district (Upper Macungie 3rd district only) * Charles Dent, Republican, Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district (all other precincts) Municipalities West End, 2007]] in Lehigh County, 2008]]. Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in only one case, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Lehigh County: Cities Boroughs Townships Census-designated places Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well. Notable villages Education 4-Year Colleges and Universities *Cedar Crest College, Allentown *DeSales University, Center Valley *Muhlenberg College, Allentown *Penn State Lehigh Valley, Center Valley 2-Year Colleges and Technical institutes *Baum School of Art, Allentown *Lehigh Carbon Community College – Main Campus, Schnecksville, and Donley Center, Allentown *Lehigh Valley College, Center Valley *Lincoln Technical Institute, Allentown Public school districts and schools *Allentown School District **William Allen High School, Allentown **Louis E. Dieruff High School, Allentown **Francis D. Raub Middle School **Harrison-Morton Middle School **South Mountain Middle School **Trexler Middle School *Catasauqua Area School District **Catasauqua High School, Northampton **Catasauqua Middle School *East Penn School District **Emmaus High School, Emmaus **Eyer Middle School, Macungie **Lower Macungie Middle School, Macungie *Northern Lehigh School District **Northern Lehigh High School, Slatington **Northern Lehigh Middle School, Slatington *Northwestern Lehigh School District **Northwestern Lehigh High School, New Tripoli *Parkland School District **Parkland High School, South Whitehall Township **Orefield Middle School, Orefield **Springhouse Middle School, Allentown *Salisbury Township School District **Salisbury High School, Salisbury Township **Salisbury Middle School *Southern Lehigh School District **Southern Lehigh High School, Center Valley *Whitehall-Coplay School District **Whitehall High School, Whitehall Township **Whitehall-Coplay Middle School Non-public high schools and charter schools *Allentown Central Catholic High School, Allentown *Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, Schnecksville *Lehigh Valley Christian High School, Allentown *Roberto Clemente Charter School, Allentown *Salem Christian School, Macungie *Seven Generations Charter School, Emmaus Transportation , 2005]] Air transportation Lehigh County's primary airport, Lehigh Valley International Airport , is located three miles (5 km) northeast of Allentown in Hanover Township. The county is also served by Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport, a two-runway general aviation facility located off of Allentown's Lehigh Street. Queen City is used predominantly by private aviation that was awarded General Aviation Airport of the year by the Eastern Region of the Federal Aviation Administration in 2006. Bus transportation Public bus service in Lehigh County is available through the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority, known as LANTA. Several private bus lines, including Bieber Tourways, Susquehanna Trailways and Trans-Bridge Lines, provide bus service from Allentown to New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal, Philadelphia's Greyhound Terminal, Atlantic City's Bus Terminal, and other regional locations. Road transportation Interstates *I-78 *I-476 -Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike US Highway System *Route 22 *Route 222 Pennsylvania Highway System *Route 29 South *Route 100 *Route 143 *Route 145 *Route 309 *Route 329 *Route 378 *Route 863 *Route 873 *Route 987 Other roads *Cedar Crest Boulevard *Lehigh Street Media The Lehigh County is part of the Philadelphia broadcast media market, though numerous New York City radio and television stations also are available in Allentown and its suburbs. Lehigh County-based media include The Morning Call, a daily newspaper in Allentown, and two Allentown-based television stations: WLVT Channel 39 (a PBS affiliate) and WFMZ Channel 69 (an unaffiliated, independent television station). Television The four major Philadelphia-based network stations serving Lehigh County include: KYW-TV (CBS), WCAU (NBC), WPVI (ABC) and WTXF (Fox). Lehigh Valley-based television outlets include WFMZ-TV Channel 69 (an Allentown-based independent station) and WLVT-TV (a Bethlehem-based PBS affiliate). Print The primary newspaper for the county is The Morning Call, based in Allentown. Radio Lehigh County-area radio stations include WAEB-AM, a news, talk and sports station (in Allentown), WAEB-FM (known as B104), a Top 40 music station (in Allentown), WZZO, a hard rock music station (in Whitehall Township), and others. Some major New York City stations and every major Philadelphia station also can be heard in the county. Telecommunications Lehigh County was once served only by the 215 area code from 1947 (when the North American Numbering Plan of the Bell System went into effect) until 1994. With the county's growing population, however, Lehigh County areas were afforded area code 610 in 1994. Today, Lehigh County is covered by 610. An overlay area code, 484, was added to the 610 service area in 1999. A plan to introduce area code 835 as an additional overlay was rescinded in 2001. Public parks and recreation Steel Force and Thunderhawk roller coasters, just outside Allentown. Steel Force opened in 1997 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster on the East Coast of the United States, with a first drop of and a top speed of . ]] in Allentown, home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs]] Most municipalities in the county have set aside at least some land for public recreation, from neighborhood parks and playgrounds to the more expansive parkways developed by the county, city and several townships. Following are the public parks within the county of more than of , including listings of their primary activities: *'Cedar Creek Parkway', Allentown, . City-owned park along Cedar Creek that includes Lake Muhlenberg and Malcolm W. Gross Rose Gardens. Activities: hiking/walking, jogging, basketball, fishing, swimming and picnicking. Mayfair, an annual arts festival, is held in the Parkway each May. *'Cedar Creek Parkway East', South Whitehall Township, . County-owned park along Cedar Creek that includes Haines Mill Museum. Activities: hiking/walking, soccer, fishing, nature study and picnicking. *'Cedar Creek Parkway West', South Whitehall Township, . County-owned park along Cedar Creek. Activities: hiking/walking, jogging, baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, basketball, swimming, nature study and picnicking. *'Covered Bridge Park', South Whitehall Township, . Township-owned park along Jordan Creek that includes two historic covered bridges. Activities: hiking/walking, jogging, football, soccer fields, volleyball, handball, fishing, disc golf, playground and nature study. *'Jordan Creek Parkway', Whitehall & South Whitehall Townships, . County-owned park along Jordan Creek. Activities: hiking/walking, jogging, bicycling, softball, baseball, soccer, tennis, fishing, cross country skiing and nature study. *'Leaser Lake', Lynn Township, . County-owned park (227.6 acres) and Pennsylvania Fish Commission-owned (312.9 acres) recreation area that includes a lake. Activities: hiking/walking, fishing, hunting, boating (sail, other non-motor and small electric motor), cross country skiing, ice-skating, nature study and picnicking. *'Lehigh Canal Park', Allentown, . City-owned park along the Lehigh River. Activities: hiking/walking, fishing and non-motor boating. *'Lehigh Parkway', Allentown, . City-owned park along Little Lehigh Creek that also includes the Lil-Le-Hi Trout Nursery. Activities: hiking/walking, bicycling, fishing, disc golf, nature study and picnicking. *'Lock Ridge Park', Alburtis, . County-owned park along Swabia Creek that includes the Lock Ridge Furnace Museum. Activities: hiking/walking, baseball, bicycling, fishing, cross country skiing, nature study and picnicking. *'Lower Macungie Township Community Park', Lower Macungie township, 56. acres. Township-owned park along Spring Creek. Activities: hiking/walking, jogging, soccer and picnicking. *'Bob Rodale Cycling and Fitness Park', Upper Macungie Township, . County-owned bicycle track and fitness area. Activities: Hiking/walking, bicycling, softball, cricket, soccer, basketball, cross country skiing, roller blading, jogging, nature study, playground and picnicking. *'South Mountain Big Rock Park', Upper Saucon and Salisbury Townships, . County-owned park. Activities: hiking/walking, picnicking and nature study. *'Trexler Memorial Park', Allentown, . City-owned park along Cedar Creek. Activities: hiking/walking, jogging and nature study. *'Trexler Nature Preserve', . County-owned park along Jordan Creek, formerly Trexler-Lehigh County Game Preserve, which includes the Lehigh Valley Zoo and is adding of trails in 2010. Activities: hiking/walking, mountain biking, jogging, fishing, hunting, nature study and picnicking. *'Upper Macungie Park', Upper Macungie Township, . Township-owned park with nature trail. Activities: hiking/walking, baseball, softball, sand volleyball, horse shoes, playground, jogging, nature study and picnicking. *'Whitehall Parkway', Whitehall Township, . Township-owned park connected to the nine-mile (14 km) Ironton Rail-Trail. Activities: hiking/walking, bicycling, jogging and nature study. Notable people Lehigh County is the birthplace of, or home to, several notable Americans, including: *Chuck Bednarik, former professional football player, Philadelphia Eagles, and member of Pro Football Hall of Fame. *Stephen Vincent Benét, author. *Michaela Conlin, stage and television actress, Bones. *Don Cunningham, politician who has been elected mayor of Bethlehem and Executive of Lehigh County. *Charlie Dent, Member of Congress. *H.D., writer. *Peter Gruner, professional wrestler. *Lee Iacocca, former chairman of Chrysler Corporation. *Keith Jarrett, jazz musician. *Michael Johns, health care executive and former White House speechwriter. *Carson Kressley, fashion consultant on Bravo's Queer Eye. *Matt Millen, former professional football player, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins, and former President and General Manager, Detroit Lions. *Andre Reed, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins. *Amanda Seyfried, model and actress, The CW's Veronica Mars and HBO's Big Love. *Curt Simmons, former professional baseball player, California Angels, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals. *Dana Snyder, voice actor, Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force. *Christine Taylor, actress and wife of actor Ben Stiller. *Lauren Weisberger, author of The Devil Wears Prada. See also * Allentown Parking Authority * List of municipal authorities in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania * Mayfair Festival of the Arts * National Register of Historic Places listings in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania * The Great Allentown Fair References External links *Lehigh County travel guide from Wikitravel. *Lehigh County Government Official Web Site. *[http://www.mcall.com/community/guide/community/ "Living in the Greater Lehigh Valley," by The Allentown Morning Call]. Category:Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Category:Established in 1812